Traps which utilize glue or adhesives to trap rats and mice are well known in the art. Typically such a trap comprises a plate or tray covered with glue or adhesive. When such traps are placed in areas where rats or mice are present, the rodents are trapped when they step into the glue or adhesive. Other snake trap patents exist which utilize adhesive and other means for trapping snakes.
Typical adhesive traps are not effective in trapping snakes, however, because of a snake's inherent ability to avoid or escape from such traps. Snakes generally crawl with their head held slightly off the ground, using lateral movements of their body to push their head forward. A snake encountering such a plate or tray trap might crawl around the trap, choosing the known of the surface it is crawling on to the unknown of the open trap surface. Even if the snake does proceed onto the tray or plate, it would likely only just barely touch the adhesive with its neck before sensing the adhesive and stopping. The snake would then be able to use the entire rest of its body to thrash about and free itself from the glue or jerk its head back out of the glue. The snake could use any rough surfaces around the trap to leverage its body and pull its neck free. If the snake only slightly contacts the adhesive of an open glue or adhesive trap it can jerk its head up and to the side and go around the trap. Enclosed adhesive traps generally do not have openings that are positioned and sized to be attractive to snakes, are not shaped and sized to capitalize on basic snake behaviors, and do not have means for preventing a snake's escape should a snake enter and contact the adhesive. Open traps are subject not only to easy escape by snakes, but also to degradation of the adhesive from dust and debris, weather or other surfaces of a non-rigid trap itself. Enclosed, non-rigid traps are also subject to degradation of the adhesive from contact with the other surfaces of the trap itself. Open traps may also pose a hazard to pets and small children.